Utah Sen. Bennett may announce future plans tomorrow

Sen. Bob Bennett, kicked off the ballot this month at Utah's Republican convention, could make a decision about whether to seek a fourth-term as a write-in candidate as early as tomorrow, Bennett tells USA TODAY.

Asked in an interview whether he would pursue the write-in route, Bennett offered his standard line: "Once I make that decision, you'll be the second to know," he said. But Bennett, 76, then added, "Stay tuned tomorrow." Asked if that meant he would announce his decision tomorrow, Bennett repeated, "Stay tuned tomorrow."

Bennett's loss in the May 8 convention foretold a broader anti-incumbent sentiment that rocked candidates – including Pennsylvania's five-term Sen. Arlen Specter – in Tuesday's primary elections. The wave of anger has affected some candidates such as Bunning, even though they have opposed the Democratic agenda in Congress.

GOP criticism over Bennett seemed to focus largely on his support for the 2008 bank bailout.

"You can't be sure that a primary held in May is a firm predictor of what the election will be like in November," Bennett said. "If November really is just like May, anger over incumbents will be very high and it will affect Democrats more than Republicans because the Democrats have more incumbents."

To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.

About Catalina Camia

Catalina Camia leads the OnPolitics online community and has been at USA TODAY since 2005. She has been a reporter or editor covering politics and Congress for two decades, including stints at The Dallas Morning News and Congressional Quarterly. Follow her at @USATOnPolitics.